EK HEALTH

by Richard Thompson, MD
EK Health Services' Chief Medical Officer

Usually, this column is reserved for factual or educational information about issues regarding workers’ compensation, utilization review, poly-pharmacy, chronic pain, etc, based on issues and experiences that occur at EK Health.

Not this month.

This month, I must address the recent death of Jo Ann Marsh, our Executive Account Manager.

Dr. Marsh spent the last four years fighting a courageous battle against an aggressive cancer. She did this with courage, optimism, dignity, and determination - and also a complete lack of excuses and self-pity.  Despite the adverse side-effects that chemotherapy caused for her, she continued to come to work – with 100% effort – and live her life with nothing less than joy.  But in the last two months, she decided that chemotherapy had become a hindrance larger than her disease. She chose to discontinue treatment in favor of a better quality of life.  And on July 20, 2011, Dr. Jo Ann Marsh died quietly, serenely, at Kaiser Hospital.  Her end, mercifully, had come quickly.  Her suffering was minimal.

Dr. Marsh served as my assistant for the past six years. And what a job she did! She was a wealth of knowledge in business, administration, high tech, chiropractic, and utilization review, which, combined with her solid presence, skill, and dedication earned her the respect of everyone she met. She loved her job. She loved the people with whom she worked. She loved doing things the “right way.” She was an essential member of EK’s executive team; no decision was made without her. We trusted and valued her insight and wisdom. She contributed to EK’s success every day she worked with us. Six months ago, in order to recognize her unwavering ability to inspire the people around her, the executive committee awarded her the first-ever EK Health Award of Merit. It was absolutely well-deserved.

I think if she were to give us any advice at all, she would say, “Don’t take your health for granted, enjoy each day you live, laugh a lot, think deep, and be passionate.”

I only hope that everyone reading this article had the privilege and pleasure of working with her, if even for a short time. What a joy to work with such a wonderful person!

Dr. Jo Ann Marsh, EK Health’s Executive Account Manager, died quietly on Wednesday evening, July 20, after a 4 year battle with cancer. She had worked for EK Health for five years and was loved for her passionate approach to every aspect of her job. She was particularly passionate about working with all of you. Her contribution to the success of EK Health was immeasurable.

EK Health will have a memorial for her in the near future and you will be notified. For now, you might do what she did every day: laugh, think, and show passion. That’s the way she lived. That’s what she loved.

She will be missed by all of us.

Thank you so much for your kind words over the last few days.